January Recap

Due to the terrible events of the past week or two I haven't posted much. So...I'll get back into the swing of things by recapping January's budget.

What went well: (almost everything)

• the cost-of-living increase in my teacher's pension was TO THE DOLLAR exactly equal to the increases in my bills: property tax, condo fee and insurance! Sometimes the system works. That allowed the increase in my Canada Pension Plan ($8.00 whoopdedoo!) to be added to my savings.
• Saving $1,000 per month is very doable. Tsf'd $1100 in January to savings. (Travel fund:)
• Overestimates in utilities put $46 back into my misc budget line. It's just not been that cold so far this winter.
• Didn't have to pay property taxes this month as I am on a 10 month schedule. Went to savings instead.
• Overpaid insurance so received a credit in January and NO payment til Feb. Extra went to savings.
• Received investment income. Rolled it over.
• Due to various bits and bobs my misc spending budget was $675 in January!! Out of that I saved enough to buy 250 pounds sterling! 
• Received GST refund ($105 4 x a year) put it into savings
• Came in under budget for gas $75/$100 & groceries $255/$280. Extra went to misc.
• Even with that I finished January with $31 in my chequing account. Added that to February's budget.

What didn't go quite as well but wasn't too bad considering!

• $60 for eye doctor because of Posterior Vitreous Detachment issue - have a checkup in a week which is also covered by the $60 payment already made. Don't feel too upset about that bill!
• $37 for a prescription

January was a great month!!

Misc spending covered:

• two meals out (Hong Ping with a friend & Swiss Chalet with my neighbour - an annual Christmas treat)
• Wine and Food Show
• Purchased Amazon Prime for a year which also includes Amazon Prime Video streaming. Comes to less than $7.00/month
• Art supplies ordered through Amazon (free shipping :) 
• added $ to my Tim's card and my Starbucks card
• Home Depot materials to fix electrical outlet
• Walmart - craft supplies (political sign-making)
• Google storage
• 250 pounds sterling

Stay tuned for February's budget recap when I proceed to spend twice what I saved in January!!

(Scotland trip is shaping up!!)

Juicing

I don't think I've done any juicing for at least a year, perhaps longer. But talking about it with friends has piqued my interest again. So yesterday I switched the coffee maker with the juicer on my kitchen counter.

Then I went to my local United Store (Chinese produce/products) and filled my cart with lots of lovely kale, spinach, ginger, oranges, cucumbers and so on for the modest total of $37. I love my United store - so much more choice than the usual grocery store, not too far away and CHEAP. The plan is to drink juice for breakfast and lunch and have a regular supper and by regular I mean fish/chicken/turkey plus lots and lots of veggies. I need to budge some fat, anyone need some?

My juice today doesn't follow a recipe - I had some "older" produce that I needed to get rid of (another handy feature of juicing - no waste!!) so my juice contains a withering grapefruit, a soft apple, some soft green grapes, spinach and kale, half a cucumber, pomegranate arils, and a big chunk of ginger. And yes it was very tasty - a bit too sweet - too many grapes I think but they needed to be used up.

The big news today is I got my Union Gas bill. I set aside $75; but because it was quite mild in November the bill was only $46!! However, today the temperature was -17c at 8am! Next month's bill won't be quite so low! Phooey!

You know you're are a boring financial nerd when you get excited by a low monthly bill!

Today's chores includes: making a couple of new toilet paper bird feeders, doing a bit more grocery shopping at No Frills (need toothpaste), NO housework, got it done yesterday, ride bike for an hour, tidy workshop and continue soapstone carving currently in progress. Supper is looked after - taking my neighbour to Swiss Chalet - YUM!

Off I go! This retirement business is so much fun!!